LONDON.- The Saatchi Gallery and Google+ announced that the winner of the Motion Photography Prize is Christina Rinaldi, who will go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip with a photographer or film-maker as her mentor.

Her black and white motion photograph of a New York window cleaner was selected as the worthy winner by a panel of forward-thinkers comprised of film director Baz Luhrmann, artists Shezad Dawood, Tracey Emin and Cindy Sherman and Saatchi Gallery CEO Nigel Hurst.

“It’s fascinating how Christina Rinaldi isolates a familiar moment and allows us to discover something new and surprising within every loop.” Cristian Cussen, Head of Marketing Google+ EMEA

“Christina Rinaldi’s motion photograph of a man cleaning a window takes a mundane, everyday moment and transforms it in to something truly mesmerizing.” Nigel Hurst, CEO Saatchi Gallery

“Christina Rinaldi’s entry of a window washer almost transcends the GIF medium by turning the soapy water into brushstrokes, so it seems more like creating a painting.” Cindy Sherman

The Motion Photography Prize is the first global open entry competition for artists and creative people working with animated GIFs.The Prize received over 4,000 entries from 52 countries, and the work of the winner, along with the five other finalists and shortlist of 54 motion photographs are being exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery in London from 17 April – 24 May 2014.

As part of the exhibition, visitors to the Gallery will be able to create their own motion photograph in select gallery spaces during the run of the show.

With the rise of smart phones and photo-sharing, photographers from all backgrounds worldwide are embracing new technology to tell their stories in innovative ways.

Motion photography has emerged as a new trend, but until recently required special tools and know-how. Google+ allows users to effortlessly and automatically animate a series of still photographs and turn them into motion photography. In recognition of the exciting potential of this new technology, the Saatchi Gallery and Google+ launched the Motion Photography Prize, inviting photographers all over the world to celebrate this new creative art form.

The exhibition is also being featured online on Saatchi Art, the world’s largest online gallery for emerging artists.

The Motion Photography Prize is open to the public from 17 April – 24 May. Entry to all exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery in London is free.